The performance of various types of capital resources in the economic reforms of China are of great interest to those involved in the reforms as policymakers, scholars, and businesspeople. Four major areas of financial development are identified--banking and loans, trade and foreign direct investments, official flows and foreign exchanges, and the stock market. The quality, or efficiency, of the capital resource has not been given equal weight with quantity, as it is difficult to measure the quality of a resource, and because more of a capital resource is generally preferred to less. A comprehensive analysis of trade and investment issues in China has been provided.

The People's Republic of China has completed the first decade of economic reform with remarkable achievements. At the same time, it is encountering severe economic problems in runaway inflation, crippling shortages, and large trade imbalances. This work uses a macroeconomic framework of development and financial repression theories to examine the PRC's performance. Improvements in the PRC's financial productivity, according to the author, can be achieved if Chinese leaders either (1) relax the real interest rate ceiling to discourage unproductive investment and free financial resources or (2) hasten the development of the equity market.

Given that there is no shortage of economic theories while economic problems are growing periodically, Conceptual Economics boldly attempts to initiate a new approach by employing conceptual and intuitive tools to examine the intra-relationship between microeconomics and macroeconomics as well as the inter-relationship between economic analysis and other social science studies, especially the relationship with political science. The few intuitive ideas include the separation between ex-ante situations and ex-post outcomes, the difference between endowment differences and unequal outcomes, and the role of economics as a vehicle in the delivery of numerous social and political activities. The discussion extends to cover an analysis on human values and concludes with a recommendation on the functionality of civic capitalism. With intuition and analytical reasoning within economics and with other social sciences, Conceptual Economics can become a new branch in economic study where scholars, analysts and intellectuals could 'think outside the box' by liaising a wider economic perspective and/or amalgamating non-economic aspects into their analysis. This shall provide a new dimension to solving human economic problems and possibly area of intellectuality.

Taking a conceptual approach, this book studies the economic development of the four East Asian economies since 1950. The author summarizes and reconsiders many of the arguments and findings that supported and explained the economic 'miracles' of Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea, analysing the relationship between economic development, growth and political economy.
This pioneering book will stimulate further analysis of East Asian development. It will be of essential interest to scholars in East Asian economics, and all those interested in modern economic development.


eBook available with sample pages: 020316654X

Taking a conceptual approach, this book studies the economic development of the four East Asian economies since 1950. The author summarizes and reconsiders many of the arguments and findings that supported and explained the economic 'miracles' of Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea, analysing the relationship between economic development, growth and political economy. This pioneering book will stimulate further analysis of East Asian development. It will be of essential interest to scholars in East Asian economics, and all those interested in modern economic development.